Minneapolis - The National Institute on Media and the
Family today released the following statement in response to Take-Two
Interactive Software’s decision to “temporarily suspend” distribution of Manhunt
2. This announcement was in response to the Entertainment Software Rating Board
(ESRB) issuing an “Adults-Only” rating for the game and Nintendo and Sony’s
decisions to deny Manhunt 2 a license for their products.

“Take-Two’s decision to temporarily suspend distribution of Manhunt 2 is a
victory for parents and children.

“Because of the their thoughtful decision to give Manhunt 2 its strongest
rating, “Adults-Only,” the ESRB has sent a strong message to Take-Two and other
game makers that they no longer can push the envelope on gratuitous violence in
video games. The ESRB showed real leadership in assigning this rating and
further evidence it is making significant progress in keeping extremely violent
and graphic materials out of children’s hands.

“Hopefully Take-Two has learned from its Manhunt 2 experience and will undertake
preventive measures to ensure its future games, including Grand Theft Auto IV,
are appropriate for families and gamers.

“As gaming technology continues to change, we hope to continue to work with the
ESRB to ensure that future games have appropriate content and context for
children. The uniqueness of Nintendo’s Wii gives game raters a new challenge
when it comes to first-player shooter games. We take the ESRB’s decision about
Manhunt 2 as a positive step in addressing this new challenge.”

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If GTA4 faces a similar situation, there could potentially be enough backlash to prompt some sort of re-evaluation of the system itself.However, I don't anticipate GTA4 going down that path in the first place. (Perhaps unfortunately.)

Rockstar got kicked in the nuts and they're hurting. The silly talk about them doing this deliberately to provoke a reaction is wish fulfillment. We're not talking about Pepsico or IBM here - Rockstar could find itself shutdown in a matter of months and it won't make even the slightest ripple in the market. Making a game which is banned outright in the UK (W T F?)and effectively banned in the US is a retarded decision for a company which has to keep its investor's happy. GTA4 will be cushions and safety swings after this or they don't exist anymore.

For what it's worth I think the decision to ban Manhunt 2 in the UK is completely wrong. I have no desire to play the game and had nothing to do with the first one either but a game is a game is a game. These aren't murder simulators or we should be banning kids from playing cops and robbers or whatever the equivalent is today.

In the UK it's compulsory for a game to get a rating and that rating represents a legally binding age limit that a retailer can be heavily fined for breaking. Banning a game outright is just pandering to the attention whores in the media and I hope whoever came up with that decision gets fucked out of the BBFC ASAP.

And finally, as everybody knows serial killers are inspired by the Beatles not by video games. Ban music.

EDIT: oh and if the "National Institute on Media and the Family" hadn't issued a press release condemning Manhunt 2 they wouldn't exactly be doing their jobs now would they? More to the point, who the fuck are the National Institute on Media and the Family and have you even heard of them before now? Is it one angry guy posting self righteous hatemail in his underwear? Or two?This comment was edited on Jun 23, 02:05.